| Year: | 2023 |
| Class: | 2025-2026 |
| Team: | Football |
The following was printed on Kole Murlin's Hall of Fame Plaque.
Kole Murlin was a linebacker for the Saints from 2018 to 2022 and is arguably the best player in SHU history. He earned three NAIA All-American honors during his career: a 1st Team All-American nod in 2022, a 2nd Team All-American nod in 2021, and an Honorable Mention All-American nod in 2020. Murlin was named the MSFA Mideast Defensive Player of the Year three times, becoming the first player in MSFA history to earn three Player of the Year awards, alongside four 1st Team All-MSFA Mideast honors.
Throughout his career, he earned an NAIA Player of the Week award in 2019, and at least one MSFA Mideast Player of the Week award in each season from 2019 to 2022, winning the award a total of five times. Murlin was also a Cliff Harris Award Finalist in 2021 and 2022, leading the NAIA vote count in 2022.
His success extended off the field as well. Murlin was named Academic All-MSFA Mideast four times and an NAIA Scholar Athlete three times. Additionally, he was honored as a College Sports Communicators 1st Team Academic All-American in 2020 and 2022, and received CSC Academic All-District honors in those same years.
Murlin’s name is all over the Saints’ record book. He holds the top two single-game tackle records with 22 and 19 tackles, both achieved in 2021. For his career, he ranks 1st in Total Tackles (412), Unassisted Tackles (162), and Assisted Tackles (250). He finished 3rd in Tackles for Loss (33.5), Interception Return Touchdowns (1), and Fumble Recoveries (4); 5th in Yards from Tackles for Loss (126); 7th in Sacks (11.5) and Yards from Sacks (64); and 9th in Passes Defended (15).
In single-season records, Murlin holds the top three spots in Total Tackles with 114 (2022), 112 (2021), and 111 (2019). He also holds the top three spots in Assisted Tackles with 73 (2021), 62 (2019), and 59 (2022), while his 44 Assisted Tackles in 2020 rank sixth best. For Unassisted Tackles, he holds the first and third best marks with 55 in 2022 and 49 in 2019.
In 2022, Murlin recorded 11 Tackles for Loss (7th best single-season mark) and 48 Yards from Tackles for Loss (9th best single-season mark). That same season, he had 5.5 Quarterback Sacks (8th best) and 31 Yards from Sacks (9th best). His two Forced Fumbles in 2019 rank as the sixth best single-season mark in SHU history.
